Sey- city



No. sua,4|2. Patented Aug. 2, |898. I

H. s. PATTEN a w. MAvEn, 1n.

JOINT FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTOBS.

(Appumiqn :11.4 nec. a1, 1997.)

(No Model.)

Tn: Noam; uns co. mo'muma, wmwofon. o, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT S. IATTEN, OE MONTCLAIR, AND \VILLIAM MAVER, J t., CF JEH SEY- CITY, NEIV J ERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO TIIEMSEIVES, AND ClIAltIilllS Il.

nEINs, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

JOINT FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,412, dated August 2, 1898Y Application flied December 3l, 1897. Serial No. 664,552?. (No model.)

To tu whom t may concern:

Be itknown that we, HERBERT S. PATTEN, residin g at Montclair, in the county of Essex, and IVILLIAM MAVER, Jr., of Jersey City, in

5 'the county of Iludson, State of New Jersey, citizens oi' the United States, have invented an Improvement in Joints for Electric Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

r o The present invention is especially intended for giving access to the joint in the electric conductor for testing sections of the line and also for eliectingrepairs, and bythe present improvement a branch line or conductor can be taken oll.

In carrying out the present improvement coupling-pieces are permanently secured by solder or otherwise to the adjacent ends of conductors, and these coupling pieces are zo made to iit into each other closely, so as to have an extended surface contact, and a bolt 'is made use of for binding the parts together, thereby preventing resistance or the development of heat, and to these coupling-pieces a 2 5 branch conductor is applied at places where such a branch is required, and the parts are connected and clamped by a single screw.

It is important to inclose the joint with a case that shall be perfectly waterproof and 3o at the same time that can be easily removed, so as to give access to the joint. This is of considerable importance, because in instances where a case has to be injured or destroyed in obtaining access to the joint considerable 3 5 time is lost as well as expense involved, and where a break or injury arises or where there may be a ground the location of such imperfection is of considerable importance. By the present improvement the ease can be re- 4o moved with rapidity from around the joint and the joint disconnected for the purpose of testing the circuit to the given point, and then the next joint can be uncovered, and so on until the defect is located, and this is ac- 4 5 complished with great rapidity and the parts replaced in succession. To el'fcct the aforesaid object, a two-part case is applied around the joint, such case setting together and being rendered moisture-proof by suitable cement, and the inclosing tubes for the con 5@ ductors and the ends of the case are tightly connected by screw-collars with projecting edges passing over the tapering ends of the case and by which the parts of such case are bound securely together and also pressed upon the collars at the ends of the inelosing tubes for the conductors.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view with the top of one of the cases removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section Without a 6o branch conductor, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section with a branch conductor.

A and D represent the main con ductors, and C and D the tubes containing the same, the ends of which are ata convenient distance for giving access to the joint between the conduc tors. These tubes C and D may be of any desired character. If they are iron tubes, the ends will be screw-threaded, as usual. It they are lead or other soft,metal the serew-threaded 7o collars E and E will be connected to the ends of the respective tubes C and D, and we pren fer in so doing to have a sleeve projecting from the collar a sufficient distance to allow for a wiped or soldered connection to be made 7 5 between the same and the soft-metal tube, as represented in connection with the cellar F.

The conductors A and B are to be insulated from the tubes C and D, and we have also represented these conductors as made up oi 8c a number of wires brought together 5 but the present improvement is available where only a single wire 'composes the conductor, and also where a number of conductors are introduced in the saine tubular cases, it being` un- 8 5 derstood that the conductors are properly inu sulated and are to be joined up in any desired manner or in the same way that the conduch tors A and B are joined, as hereinafter set fOrth. 9o

The couplings G and II are permanently connected to the respective ends of the conductors A and B. Such couplings are advantageously made with tubular recesses for re ceiving the ends of the conductors, the conn nection being made by solder or equivalent material melted er sweated into the respective couplings :for permanently joining such coup-1 lings to thehconductors. These couplings G and II are made to set closely together and to be connected by the clamping-bolt I, and we prefer to make the end surfaces 2 and 3 of the couplings as segments of cones and the adjacent surfaces as conical-shaped recesses, so that the parts will set closely together, and the clamping-bolt I will apply pressure to bring such surfaces into intimate contact in order that there may not be any more resistance in the couplings and joint than there is in the conductor itself, thus preventing loss of electric energy or the heating of the couplings. l

The insulating-coverings A B to the conductors A and B are advantageously stopped between the ends of the tubes C and D and the respective couplings G and II, and insulating tape or wrapping R may be applied around the ends of the conductors and around the couplings, and this is done with facility because the parts are not incased.

The divided case K K is advantageously made of two parts that are similar, the plane of division corresponding to the center of the conductors,and the ends of this case set closely around the screw-threaded collars E F at the ends of the tubes C and D, and it is generally preferable to screw-thread the interior surfaces of the divided case to iit the screwthreads lof such collars, and the exterior surfaces of the parts of the divided case are conical or tapering at the ends, and the screwrings L L have internal conical surfaces to fit the exterior ends of the divided case and also screw-threaded portions to screw upon the collars E and F, respectively, and these rings are to be screwed back over the screwthreaded collars E and F and the pipes before the parts of the case K and K are applied to the screw-threaded collars as the parts ofthe case are put together, and then the screwrings L and L are screwed forward upon the ends of the divided case and firmly clamp the parts of the case together and hold the same in position around the joint of the concilietors. If desired, a hole may be provided in the top part of the divided case through which a liquid insulating material, such as a melted resin, may be poured, so as to close tightly around the joint and exclude the atmosphere.

It is advantageous to groove the adjacent edges of the divided case, as at K2, so that the parts will set tightly together, and when white lead or any suitable or similar material is applied between the parts of the case and between the ends of the case and the col'- lars the atmosphere or moisture may be effectually excluded.

The joint heretofore described is adapted to ordinary lines of electric conductors; but where a branch is to be taken off a bar N is inserted between the couplings G and H, through which bar the bolt I also advantageously passes, and the parts of the coupling are made with reference to receiving this bar N, so that they will set tightly together and also tightly clamp the bar, and this bar N forms the end of the branch conductor N', which may be of any desired character or size, and passes off into a tube O, having at its end a screw or collar P, and the divided case K K is made with lateral half-branches to grasp such collar in the same way that it grasps the collars E and F, and the screwring L2 is employed around the collar I to clamp the two parts of the divided case K K at the lateral half-branches that receive the collar P, so that to separate the parts of the divided case having the branch the screwrings L L L2 are screwed back from over the conical ends of the case and then the case can be separated and lifted entirely away from the joints, giving access for reconnecting the parts or for repairs, and when the branch conductor is employed the parts may be sur rounded or wrapped by insulating-tape or other suitable material.

In Fig. 2 the couplings G and II are represented as coming directly into contact where the clamp-bolt passes through them; but usually it is preferable to make these parts las shown in Fig 3 and to place a washer between the parts H and G where there is not any branch connection N. Hence there will not be any change except to remove the washer when a branch is to be added.

This improvement allows for detaching one part of a conductor from another by removing the bolt I and separating the couplings G I'I from each other after the case K K' has been taken off, and the end of the conductor that remains may be insulated and protected by an ordinary tubular cap screwed upon the coupling E or F.

In cases where the improvement is applied to a cable that is not separated, especially where a branch is to be taken from the cable, the tube around the cable may be removed and the screw-collars E and F be soldered to the ends of the tube C D. In this case, however, said screw-collars E F and the rings L L would have to be in two parts, so as to apply them around the cable, such rings L L being afterward connected by bolts or othern wise.

Ve claim as our inventionl. The combination with the tubes and the Ainsulated conductors within the tubes and connections for the conductors, of a two-part case adapted to set together around the joint IOO IIO

and having tapering er conical ends and screwl rings around the ends of the inclosing tubes and receiving and clamping together the parts of the divided case, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the conductors and their couplings or connections, of tubes surrounding the conductors and having screwtheir couplings or connections, of tubes surrounding the conductors and having screwthreaded ends, a two-part case having tapering ends and screw-threaded to fit the ends of the tubes, and screw-rings upon the ends of the tubes passing over the conical ends of the divided case and holding the same in position, substantially as set forth.

Al. The combination with the conductors and their couplings or connections, of tubes surrounding the conductors and having screwthreaded ends, a two-part case having tapering` ends and screw-threaded to iit the ends of the tubes and interlocking grooved edges and screw-rings upon the ends of the tubes passing over the conical ends of the divided case and holding` the same in position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the cond uctors and their insulating-coverings, ol couplings to which the ends of the conductors are soldered or otherwise permanently connected, such couplings having lapping ends with closelyfitting surfaces, a bar between the two parts of the couplings and a branch conductor there with connected, and a clamping-bolt passing through such couplings and through the bar and holding them together, substantially as set forth.

G. The combination with the two conductors and their surrounding tubes and insulating material, of a branch conductor and a coupling connecting the conductors,a case divided in two parts and adapted to setting between the ends et' the respective inclosin g tubes and screw-rings upon the respective tubes acting to confine the parts of the divided case and to connect them with the respective tubes, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the conductors and their insulating-coverings, of couplings to which the ends of the conductors are soldered or otherwise permanently connected, such couplings having lapping ends with closelyfitting surfaces, and a clamping device for holding them together, substantially as set forth.

Signed by us this 9th day of December, 1897.

ll. S. PATTEN. WILLIAM MAVER, JR.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINoKNnv, S. T. HAvILAND. 

